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Enlarge ImageRequest to buy this photoDavid Kohl | Associated PressPirates outfielders, from left, Andrew Lambo, Felix Pie and Travis Snider celebrate a 4-2 win over the Reds. Cincinnati’s loss yesterday was its fifth straight. The two teams meet again on Tuesday.

CINCINNATI — The Reds had scheduled Johnny Cueto to start the regular-season finale against the
Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday afternoon in Great American Ball Park, and his heart really wasn’t
racing with anticipation.

“I had my doubts,” Cueto said through interpreter Tomas Vera. “I was thinking about, ‘Why are
they going to use me on Sunday? I don’t think this game is going to have any value for us.’ And I
was waiting to see what would happen.”

Something did happen after Saturday’s loss to the Pirates. Mat Latos, the tentative wild-card
starter for the Reds on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, informed manager Dusty Baker and pitching coach
Bryan Price that his right elbow ached.

The two turned to Cueto for Tuesday’s 8:07 p.m. game in PNC Park, and his heart began to beat
faster.

“When the pitching coach called me and told me I was going to be the starter for Tuesday, I was
really happy,” Cueto said. “It is a really meaningful game to me. It’s the most-important game of
the season.”

Cueto missed much of the season with a strained right lat muscle. The presence of the Reds’ 2012
staff ace for this game is a lift for a team that dropped a 4-2 decision to the Pirates yesterday
and has lost five in a row in moribund fashion.

“Ask the guys out there,” Baker said, nodding toward the Reds clubhouse. “In the playoffs last
year, he was our No. 1. Yeah, we feel comfortable with Cueto. We feel comfortable that he has the
repertoire of pitches to combat left-handers and right-handers.”

Cueto returned from his third stint on the disabled list to start two games for the Reds in
September. Both were victories. He has faced the Pirates 13 times in PNC Park and owns an 8-2
record with a 1.90 earned run average.

“Cueto has had two good outings since we came back, and we’ve got a lot of confidence in him,”
catcher Ryan Hanigan said. “He’s a good matchup for that team. He’s obviously our ace when he’s
healthy. I don’t think we lost much. It’s unfortunate for Mat, but we’ve got confidence in
Johnny."

Hanigan caught Cueto’s past two starts. “He didn’t look like he had lost a beat,” Hanigan said. “
He’s got everything going. All four pitches are working. His velocity is there. His location was
there. He’s got a lot of weapons we can use at any time.”

The one-game wild-card format, now in its second year, brings a scary and clean slate to the
postseason.

“We got beat up pretty good this whole week,” Baker said. “Our starting staff was our strength.
But you look at games this week, and we got some guys that were hit pretty hard.

“I’m hearing that we’ve lost already. People are afraid of a one-game playoff. How many teams
are in it? Five, right? We’re one of five. We went through a lot this year to get to this point.
All you can do is look forward and be prepared.”

Cueto says he is prepared for his matchup against Pittsburgh’s Francisco Liriano.

“I feel good,” he said. “I feel normal. I feel back to like I’ve been pitching the whole
year."